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How does everyone run there dog for Poison Birds? I think I mentioned in the other thread, my dog watches the mark being thrown from one side. Then I say "no leave it" and heel to other side and cue "dead bird" which IMHO works well for us b/c we have always done that. He has no trouble coming in from the blind and focusing on the mark. Be interested in what others do?

KRD=Key Relationship Drill?

Mary Lynn, What do you do if there is a double blind, the poison bird between them?

Howard NiemiYou really gotta be careful about how high a pedestal you put your method, your accomplishments, your dog on. There's usually someone who's done more, somewhere. And they may have used a different method than you did! Chris Atkinson 2013

Here's some questions to consider, but the discussion doesn't need to be confined to them; (silly me- this IS RTF. LMAO!!!)

-How do you train for them?

Four Phase Drill to start. Each phase is thoroughly schooled in standard order first; pick up the mark, and then line the blind. Once all four phases are well trained in that manner (mimimum of 3-5 days on each phase), phases A, B, and C are then taught as poison bird blinds. We then move to drills similar to TRT "Blind Drills", and then to cold set ups.

Originally Posted by paul young

-Why use them?

To keep from losing crippled game that is less visible than closer killed game.

Originally Posted by paul young

-How frequently? in training, in tests/trials

That is determined by my training journal. If I begin to see an erosion of skill in this area I increase exposure to it in training.

Originally Posted by paul young

-What are the judges looking for? in tests/trials

Control, and willingness to take direction from the handler.

Originally Posted by paul young

-How important a skill for a hunting dog?

I believe it is one of the most important of all skills for a working gundog. When several birds are downed by a group of hunters it is not unlikely that one or more may not be clean kills. You want to get on those cripples before they are lost, so this skill is what allows that to be done effectively.

Originally Posted by paul young

-What constitutes a failure? in tests/trials

The dog ends up getting the poison bird before the blind. The handler tries to cheat the test by not challenging it; false lining and/or handling wide of the line to avoid failure. A poison bird is a factor. Factors are placed en route to test the dog's control and willingness to take direction from the handler.

Evan

"Prepare your dog in such a manner that the work he is normally called upon to do under-whelms him, not overwhelms him." ~ Evan Graham“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”

"Prepare your dog in such a manner that the work he is normally called upon to do under-whelms him, not overwhelms him." ~ Evan Graham“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”

How would one run this blind? What are the pitfalls? If you pick up the right hand blind first, dog is fighting the wind and if you try to cast to keep it on line it might think you are telling it to get the poison bird? Also if it drifts too far left it runs into the bird on the left, and once it gets past the PB and the left blind you have all the scent behind the dog calling it. If you run the blind on the left first, you still have dog fighting wind, and still possibly having to cast toward the poison bird to keep dog on line.

The shorter, left hand blind was picked up first. I was one of the gunners at the poison bird station for the first half of dogs that ran. The poison bird was not as much of a factor as it was in the 7th series poison bird water blind. Ask me how I know